Thermostatically-controlled valve mechanism



D00 w. w. CARSON. JR 1,784,041

THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 30, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9; 1930.

Filed Oct. 30, 1926 2 Sheets Sheet 2 Snow 1 m";

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Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM w. CARSON, JR, OF-KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, assxenon, :BY mEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE FULTON SYLPHON COMPANY, OF KNOXVILLE,

PORATION OF DELAWAREv TENNESSEE, A COR- THERMOSTATIGALLY coNTROLLED VALVE MECHANISM Application filed October 30, 1926. Serial No. 145,844.

This invention relates to thermostatically controlled valve'mechanism, and particularly trollin the circulation of cooling medium throug 1 the cooling systems of internal combustion engines. The invention is capable of embodiment both in thermostatically con- 7 trolled valve mechanism of the choker type wherein the opening and closing of the valve determines the quantity of cooling medium flowin through the system and in thermostatica ly controlled valve mechanism of the by-pass type wherein the opening and closing of the valve determines the cooling medium.

It is an object of this invention to provide a 7 device of the character described which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and install,,and accurate and eflicient in operation. 7

Another object of this invention is to pro-1 vide a device of the character described with simplified means for supporting and enclosing the thermostat; also to simplify the construction both as respects the provision of a valve seat and the provision of a means for mounting the entire unit in o erative relation to the cooling system of an internal combustion engine.

Other-objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

' a thermostatically operated valve-mechanism embodying the present invention.

' Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. .3 is a perspective view of the cup-like cage constitutinga part of the unit of Fig.1. Fig. 4 is an en ar ged axial section through tion, and a to valve mechamsm of this character for conpath of flow of the ,Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cup-like cage which forms a part of the unit of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a thermostat 1 of an suitable. character v and possessed of any suitable physical character istics is shown as composed of a deeply corru'gated, highly flexible, expansible and collapsible tubular metal wall, preferably of resilient'metal, said tubular wall being closed at one end by an end wall 2, designed to be maintained stationary, and closed at its opposite end by an end wall 3 designed to be movable, said end walls being attached to the corrugated lateral wall in any suitable way, as by brazin or soldering.

On the t ermostat, mounted on the end wall 2, and preferably integral therewith, is an axially extending boss 4 threaded exteriorly and designed to receive a nut 5 for the purpose of mounting the thermostat in fixed position as hereafter ex lained. The usual fillin a erture 6- for sai thermostat may be pro vi e through said boss 4,-if desired, said filling a rture being shown as closed by a stopper and solder 8 after a thermosensitive fluid of any suitable character has been introduced into the thermostat.

The 0 posite end wall 3 of said thermostat is provi ed in any suitable way with a valve stem 9, integral therewith orsuitably attached thereto, and shown as exteriorly threaded at its outer end 10. Interiorlyof the thermostat, said end wall 3 is shown as provided with a tubular stop 11, integral therewith or suitably attached thereto as by solder, for'limiting the extent to which the thermostat may be collapsed when the valve member is not in operative position.

In conformity with the present invention said thermostat is'supported in fixed position and also enclosed by a cup-shaped cage 12provided with a bottom 13, which may be a second embodiment of the present invenintegral with the lateral wall or suitably at v tached thereto as by solder, said bottom wall being provided with a central aperture 14:

through which the boss 4 of. the thermostat may-'be projected so as to permit the Ste;-

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tionary end wall 2 of the thermostat to be fixedly clamped to the bottom of said cupshaped cage or support by threading the nut 5 onto the boss 4. To permit free circulation of the cooling medium into the cage, over and around the thermostat, the lateral or cylindrical wall of said cage is provided with a suitable number of suitably sized apertures, said apertures being separated by a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs of any suitable shape and size to give the desired rigidity and stillness to the cage without unduly restricting the circulation. At least one pair of opposed ribs 15 is preferably decreased in width adjacent the end thereof near the open end or the cup-shaped cage, as shown at 16 and each reduced portion it is connected to the main portion of the rib 15 at each side of the rib by a beveled surface 1? for a purpose hereinafter explained. For convenience in assembling all of the ribs 15 are preferably made oi identical construction. I

The open end of the cup shaped cage 12is provided with a radially extending flange 18, which flange is preferably integral with the lateral or cylindrical wall of the cupshaped and may project either radially inward or radially outward. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 3 said flange 18 is shown as extending radially outward; The outer taceld of said flange 18' is preferably machined or otherwise suitably formed to constitute valve seat for the valve to be described.

Means are provided on said cup-shaped support or'cage for mounting the thermo statically operated valve unit in o erative position in relation to the parts oi t e cooling system or an'internal combustion engine, and to this end an annular flange 20, which maybe blank-ed out of sheet metal, has an inside diameter of suilicient size to tit snugly over the exterior periphery of the cup-shaped support 12 and an outside diameter and coniiguration appropriate for assembly with the parts by which the unit is to be mounted.

Means are also provided for clamping this annular flange in position against the inside of the flange 19, and this clampingmeans 15 prererably so constructed as toalso perform the function of guiding the valve stem 9 and, if desired, limiting the ex pensive movement of the thermostat 1. In the iorm shown (see particularly Fig. 2) said clamping means is composed of a pair of elon ated metal strips 21 and 22, referably blah ed out of sheet metal and sec provided intermediate its length with a bend 23 of substantially semi-circular configuration. Adjacent their opposite ends, each of said metal strips is provided with a generally right angular bond 24 and the ends of the deflected portions are reversely bent as shown at 25.-to afiord hook-like extremities. Two

metal strips bent in the manner described, or into'any other suitable conformation to perform the function to be described, are assembled, so that their faces contact in a plane 26, to embrace the valve stem. The two members 21 and 22 are then secured together in this position in any suitable way, as by screwsor rivets 27, passed through aligned apertures therein. when so assembled the pair of hooks at each end of the transverse member thus formed closely embrace one of the ribs 15 at the reduced portion 16 thereof. The Width oi said reduced portions 16, i. e. in the direction of the axis of the cup-shaped cage, is such that the beveled surfaces 17 cam said transverse member into clamping engagement with the flange ring 20, the outer ends of said hoolrs 25 enaging the flange ring 20 on its opposite side icons the flange 19 and clamping said flange ring 20 therebetween. Packing or solder may be used to provide a fluid-tight joint between said flanges, if found desirable.

The bends 23 in the members 21 and 22 are of such size as to embrace-the valve stem 9,

as shown in Fig. 2, and form a guide therefor during theezpansion and contraction of the thermostat. Although it is preferred to bend both of the strips 21 and 22 as shown, so that they are formed from duplicate blanks, said stri s ma be so designed that only one of t em is cut, or their bends, may be unequal to embrace the valve stem. The width otsaid transverse member 21, 22 at or adjacent the guide'portion 23 is also preferably so selected'that the inner ed e of said member 21, 22 constitutes a stop to imit the expansive movement of the thermostat by engagement with the movable end wall- 3 thereof or by engagement with some suitable member carried by the valve stem or said movable wallj A valve member of any suitable character is suitably mounted on the valve stem 5). in the -form shown the valve disk 28 is rovided with an interiorly threaded hub 29 y which it may be threaded onto the valve stem 9;, and said valve disk is designed to be locked on said stem when properly positioned thereon by means or a cotter pin 30 passing through an aperture drilled in said hub and said stem.

' The diameter of the cup-shaped cage 12 is such as to leave a substantial clearance between the ribs 15 and the eriphery of the thermostat, so that there s -all be no interference with the expansion and contraction of the thermostat. This also permits the thermostat to be introduced into said cupshaped cage through the open end thereoij. The outwardly extending flange 19 therefore requires the use of a valve disk 28 which is of appreciably greater diameter than the etlective diameter of the corrugated tubular wall. It is sometimes desirable to use a valve disk ion lIO

of materially smaller diameter, equal to or even smaller than the efiective diameter of the corrugated tubular wall. To this end, a valve seat of smaller diameter than that of the open end of the cup must be provided and an embodiment of the invention providing forv the use of a smaller valve disk is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. I

In the form here shown the thermostat 1 with its threaded boss 4 on the stationary end Wall and its valve stem 9 on the movable end wall, and the cup-shaped cage 12 aperturcd to provide a plurality of ribs 15, are of substantially the same construction as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In this embodiment of the invention, however, a separate valve seat ring is suitably secured within the open end of the cup-shaped ca e 12 after the thermostat has been mounte therein. In the form shown, a ring 31 having an inwardly directed flan e 32, which is machined or otherwise suitab y formed so as to provide a valve seat 33, is suitably secured within the open mouth of the cup-shaped support or cage 12, as by solder 34. In order to predetermine the position of said ring 31 and prevent its movement into the cup beyond a definite distance, the ribs '15 are provided in any suitable way with means to limit the inward movement of said ring. In the fOIIll shown, one or more prick punch depressions 35 are made in each of the ribs 15, or a continuous groove might be formed transversely of said ribs, at such a position that the ring 31 is limited in its inward movement.

The valve disk shown in Fig. 4 is of the form disclosed and claimed in the a plication of Jean V. Giesler, William W. arson, and Thomas R. Clark, Serial No. 145,343, filed October 30, 1926, and entitled Thermostatically controlled valve mechanism and is composed of a sheet metal disk 36 provided at its center with an interiorly threaded hub 37 which may be formed out of rod stock and suitably machined, said hub having an inwardly directed skirt 38 which may be secured in the disk 36by peening or riveting over the inner extremity of said skirt. The transverse member 21, 22 for locking the flange ring between the flange 18 and their hook-shaped? extremities 25 may be of substantially the same construction as heretofore described in conjunction with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, or of any other suitable construction. Inasmuch as the flange 18 does not constitute a valve seat, however, it may be made of such size as to rform the function of the flange 20, shown in Fig. 1,'in which event, the transverse member 21, 22 may serve no locking function but still perform the functions 0 a-valve stem guide and a stop to limit the expansive movement of the thermostat. r

In both of the embodiments so far described the flange 18 has been made integral three with the tubular wall of the cup-shaped cage 12, and any radially inwardly directed flange,

such as 32 in Figs. 4 and 5, has been shown as secured to said cage. It is possible in some constructions to form the open end of the clapshaped cage into an integral inwardly rected flange and then so der or otherwise suitably secure to the periphery of the cup shaped cage an outwardly directed flange to serve the function of an attachin flange.

In assembling the parts, assuming that the thermostat 1 has first been formed and suit ably char ed and sealed, said thermostat is introduce through the open end of the cupshaped ca e 12 to project the threaded boss 4 through t e aperture 14 in the bottom thereof. The thermostat is then fixedly clamped in positionby threadin boss 4 until it clamps the bottom 13 of said cage fixedly between said nut and the stationary end wall 2. A flange ring 20, when used, having been applied over the olitside of the cup-shaped cage 12 until it contacts the flange 18, the pair of members 21' and 22 are positioned on opposite sides of the stem 9, so that the curved portions 23 thereof embrace. the valve stem 9 and the hook ortions 25 thereof embrace the reduced ortions 16 of a pair of opposed ribs 15, an said members 21 and 22 are then united in any suitable manner, such as heretofore described. As said members are thus forced into contact, the beveled faces 17 on the ribs tend to cam the hook-shaped ends of said members toward the outer end of the cup-shaped cage or support, forcingvsaid hook-shaped ends against the flange rlng 20 and rigidly uniting and clam in the latter between the flange 18 and said 00 -shaped extremities. When the rin 31 is employed, said ring is introduc through the o '11 end of the cup-shaped support and soldgied or otherwise suitably secured in osition. The valve disk may then dgd onto valve stem 9 until it con' tacts the valve seat 19 or 32, and still further sufliciehtly to withdraw the tubular stop 11 1 able housing or on any suitable support in the cooling system of an internal com stion engine and the thermostat will expand and. contract under changes of temperature to v the nut 5 onto said open and close the valve, the stationary end o the thermostat 2 being rigidly secured against displacement while the movements of t e movable end of said thermostat are properly guided and limited.

As heretofore pointed out the thermostat -may be of any suitable character and possessed of any suitable physical characteristree. It is preferably charged with a thermothis invention.

sensitive fluid at a pressure below atmospheric, at normal temperature, so that at all temperatures below that at which the thermostat is designed to expand the interior pressure will be less than the exterior pressure. Therefore, if the thermostat leaks and the interior and exterior pressures become equalized, there is a tendency for the thermostat to expand and open the valve. The valve disk may be made of any suitable size with relation to the efiective diameter of the corrugated tubular wall, and provided with a leakage aperture if desired, and the size of the valve disk as compared with the efiective area of the corrugated wall may be so selected that the pressure of the circulating cooling medium tends to open the valve by reason of: an unbalanced pressure thereon. This action may be availed of either alone or in conjunction with the charging of the thermostat at a pressure below atmosphere to edect the movement of-the valve to. open position upon failure of the thermostat, It is to be expressly understood, however, that any other suitable character or construction of thermostat may be employed without departing from the present invention.

It will therefore be perceived that a simple thermostatically operated valve unit has been provided which is composed of a relatively few simple parts which may be inexpensively manufactured and assembled. At the same time the unit is positive, accurate and efiicient.

While the embodiments of the invention illustrated on the drawings have been described with considerable particularity, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto as the same is capable of receiving a variety-oi? mechanical expressions, some of which; will now readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, while changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and proportion of parts without departir from the spirit oi Refer-c ce is theretoreto be had to the appended claims tor a definition oi? the invention,

What is claimed is:

1. in a device of ti e character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member operatively connected thereto, a cage for said 'tl'iermostat provided at open end with outwardly directed constituting a valve tor valve member.

a i a device of the character described,

in combination with a thermostat and a valvemember operatively connected thereto, cage for said the iiostat h" closed bottom and provided at its con- "niber,

stituting a valve seat ioisale.

and means 1"" securing said JUL J3 bottom or for said thermostat havin a closed bottom and provided with a radia ly directed flange constituting a valve seat for said'valve member, the bottom of said cage being provided with an aperture, and a threaded boss on one end ofsaid thermostat projectin through said aperture and secured to the bottom of said cage.

.4. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a stem operatively connected thereto, a cage-like support for said thermostat including a plurality of longitudinally extending elements and a separate diametrically extending member attached to said elements inside of said cage-like support but adjacent the end thereof and forming a guide for the movement of said stem.

5. In a device of the character described. in combination with a thermostat, a support for said thermostat including a plurality of longitudinally extending elements, and a member mounted on said elements for limiting the movement of said thermostat.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat, a support for said thermostat including a plurality of longitudinally extending elements, a member mounted exteriorly on said support, and means mounted on said elements for locking said member on said support.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a stem operatively connected thereto, a support for said thermostat including a plurality of axially extending elements and a transverse member secured to said elements, said member being composed of a plurality of sections joined to embrace said stem and a plurality of said elements.

8. In a device of the character described. in comb nation with a thermostat and a stem operatively connected thereto a support for said thermostat including a plurality of longitudinally extending elements, and a transverse ineniber secured to said elements, said transverse member being composed of sectic-ns bent at extremities to form clampion ing portions and bent intermediate their 11. r Ji -J Lu s.

said support, and a transverse IIlBll'l'bQl for locking said first-named member in position, said transverse member being secured to said elements and cammed by the beveled faces thereon into locking relation with said firstnamed member.

' 11. In a device of the character described,

in combination with a thermostat and a valve member operatively connected thereto, a

cage for said thermostat provided at its open endwith a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member and a second radially directed flange member secured to said cage adjacent its open end.

12. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member operatively connectedthereto, a cage for saidthermostat provided at its open end with a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, and a second radially directed flange member secured to said ca e adjacent its open end, one of said flanges beingo integral with said cage.

13. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member operatively connected thereto, a cage for said thermostat provided at its open end with a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, said cage including axially extending ribs, and a transverse member secured to said ribs and forming a guide for the valve stem.

14. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member 0 eratively connected thereto, a cage ior said t ermostat provided at itsopen end with a radially directed .fiange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, said cage including axially extending ribs, and a transverse member secured to said ribs and forming a stop thermostat.

15. In a'device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member operatively connected thereto, a cage for said thermostat provided at its open end with a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, said cage including axially extending ribs, and a transverse member formed of sections secured to said ribs and united to embrace the valve stem. a

16. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve member 0 eratively connected thereto, a cage for said thermostat provided at its open end with a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, said cage including axially extending ribs, and a transverse member secured to said ribs and composed of sections having hook-shaped extremities whereby said sections may be clamped upon opposed ribs.

' 17. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a valve to limit the movement of saidmember 0 eratively connected thereto, a cage for said t ermostat provided at its open end with a radially directed flange constituting a valve seat for said valve member, said cage including axially extendin ribs having one or more bevel'edsurfaces, a ange ring mounted on said cage in contact with said first named flange, and a transverse member secured to said ribs and cammed into locking engagement with said flange member by the action of said beveled surfaces on said trans verse member.

18. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat and a' valve member operatively connected thereto, a cupshaped cage for said thermostat, means for securing said'thermostat to the bottom of said cage, and an integral outwardly directed flange at the mouth of said cage constitutin 'a valve seat for said valve disk.

19. In a device of the character described, in combination with a thermostat, a cupshaped cage for said thermostat, means for WILLIAM W. CARSON, -J R. 

